Straw choppers and spreaders currently used on combine harvesters normally have a chopped straw discharge and spreading arrangement like the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,017 to Howell et al. The chopper blades of the Howell et al straw chopper throw chopped straw to the rear and against the bottom side of a horizontal deflector plate. The horizontal deflector plate deflects chopped straw toward the ground. Generally vertical angled guide vanes on the bottom of the horizontal deflector plate direct straw outwardly to the sides of the straw chopper and spreader. The problems involved with this construction is that impingement of the chopped straw particles on the vertical angled guide vanes and on the bottom of the horizontal deflector plate removes a substantial portion of the kinetic energy from the straw. As a result, the chopped straw floats to the ground in a path that is narrower than desired unless the wind is blowing. A side wind can blow the limply falling straw into uncut crop where it may be picked up by the combine harvester a second time.